It's Poetry Friday, and Rose Cappelli is hosting HERE on her blog, Imagine The Possibilities. She brings us a place where we'd all love to be, watching for the sun rise over the ocean. It makes me want to be there with her!
This time in our country's history feels very important. Whatever you think about the politics, it seems right to look deeply in our hearts about who we are, what we really believe. I have a favorite poem by Joy Harjo that speaks to this and I want to share it with you, a gift of introspection.
Remember
by Joy Harjo
Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
the rest is HERE
'Grace Notes' was the name of the verse novel (by debut YA author Karen Comer) that just won the CBCA Book Week Award for Older Readers.
ReplyDeleteSorry. That should have read CBCA Book of the Year Award, for Older Readers. (In Australia.) It was a beautiful read.
DeleteThanks for telling me, Kat! I'll look for it!
DeleteI have Grace Notes on my wish list, Linda. Thanks also for the timely poem from Joy Harjo. Did you know it was published as a picture book?
ReplyDeletehttps://images4.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780593484821
Thanks for telling me about the picture book, Rose. No, I didn't know & will look for it!
DeleteCan't wait to read GRACE NOTES! Coming off the DNC, the title feels like a great summation of the event!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, you are so right, Patricia! This was a special week!
DeleteThanks for sharing Harjo's Remember. I like "They are alive poems" and "Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you."
ReplyDeleteLinda, I greatly enjoyed reading Harjo's "Remember." I stopped and wrote a "Remember" poem to my granddaughter. It is a lovely way to remind us all to stop and remember the important things. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem. Perfect pick for the times.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great one to share. Thanks for doing so. I'll also keep an eye out for Naomi Shihab Nye's book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these authors and books, Linda. Writing a remember poem is a great idea. I think I'll write one for each of my three sons. We all forget little things and this is a great way to keep them at the forefront of our memories.
ReplyDeleteWe're having an election in my province coming up soon, and I've been encouraging everyone I interact with to make sure they're registered. We all have power, even if it doesn't always feel like it. <3
ReplyDeleteLove Joy Harjo, Linda — thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI've been so busy this week at the bookstore, and now want to take time to say thanks to you all for coming by! It is wonderful to read your comments! Thank you, Tabatha, Denise, Mary Lee, Carol, Jane, and Karen! I hope your week is starting well!
ReplyDeleteWhat a rich poem, Linda - thank you for sharing and for your special attention to this moment in time. This line especially got me, as Morgan's second baby is due later this year, and it's a girl.... "You are evidence of/her life, and her mother’s, and hers." Thanks for the heads up re. the new book by Naomi Shihab Nye!
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